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The icing phenomenon has become a safety hazard for the normal operation of equipment. In this work, we report a strategy for simply obtaining photothermal anti-icing coatings by spraying acrylic resin, polydimethylsiloxane and polydopamine modified SiO2 particles on a steel plate substrate. The prepared icephobic AR/PDMS/SiO2@PDA composite coating not only has excellent superhydrophobicity (WCA = 162°). It also shows good anti- and de-icing performances. The superhydrophobic surface was able to delay freezing for 614 s at −20°C, and the ice adhesion of its surface was 54 kPa. In addition, PDA-modified SiO2 particles endow the coating with photothermal properties. Under the irradiation of simulated sunlight, the photothermal coating rapidly reached 61°C within 3 min, and the ice droplets completely melted in 155 s. Besides, it's able to withstand a wide range of chemical attacks and mechanical impacts. After 15 icing-de-icing cycles and 40 sandpaper abrasions cycles test, the prepared coatings can still maintain remarkable ice-removal performance, demonstrating excellent mechanical robustness and stability in harsh environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perineural invasion (PNI) is a typical pathological characteristic of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) and other neurotrophic cancers. The mechanism of the neural microenvironment controlling tumor progression during the PNI process is unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role and molecular mechanisms of nerve‐derived neuropeptide galanin (GAL) and its receptor (GALR2) in the regulation of PNI in SACC. Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining and clinical association studies were performed to analyze the expression of GAL and GALR2 in SACC tissues and their clinical value. Dorsal root ganglion or SH‐SY5Y cells were co‐cultured with SACC cells in vitro to simulate the interactions between the neural microenvironment and tumor cells, and a series of assays including transcriptome sequencing, Western blot, and Transwell were performed to investigate the role and molecular mechanism of GAL and GALR2 in the regulation of SACC cells. Moreover, both the in vitro and in vivo PNI models were established to assess the potential PNI‐specific therapeutic effects by blocking the GAL/GALR2 axis. Results: GAL and GALR2 were highly expressed in SACC tissues, and were associated with PNI and poor prognosis in SACC patients (p < 0.05). Nerve‐derived GAL activated GALR2 expression in SACC cells and induced epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) in SACC cells. Adding human recombinant GAL to the co‐culture system promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SACC cells significantly, but inhibited the apoptosis of SACC cells. Adding M871, a specific antagonist of GALR2, significantly blocked the above effects (p < 0.05) and inhibited the PNI of SACC cells in vitro and in vivo (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that nerve‐derived GAL activated GALR2 expression, and promoted EMT in SACC cells, thereby enhancing the PNI process. Interruption of the GAL/GALR2 axis might be a novel strategy for anti‐PNI therapy for SACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of multiarm structure hyperbranched polyester‐b‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) (HEPCLs) with different lengths of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) segments (s = 3, 6, 7, 8) were synthesized. Hyperbranched polyester (HE) was synthesized from glycidol and succinic anhydride and used as a macromolecular polymerization initiator for ε‐caprolactone. The HEPCLs were used as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plasticizers and the mechanical properties, thermal properties, morphology, and migration stabilities of PVC films were explored. The plasticizing efficiency increased with the increase in PCL segments, and the plasticizing efficiency of HEPCL8 exceeded that of dioctyl phthalate. Scanning electron microscopy and solid‐state 1H NMR showed that the HEPCLs possess better compatibility with PVC than HE. Moreover, HEPCLs exhibited excellent migration stability even at very harsh condition, indicating that HEPCLs can be used as no‐migration PVC plasticizers in medical products, children's toys, and food packaging. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 26:35–42, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In low-temperature, high-humidity environments, the condensation of water vapor within microstructures can initiate a detrimental cycle of hydrophobic failure, high-adhesion ice formation, and microstructural degradation, thereby limiting the practical application of superhydrophobic coatings in anti-icing and de-icing technologies. Therefore, enhancing the hydrophobic stability and mechanical durability of these coatings under such conditions is imperative. This study presents a novel approach where rigid Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles are encapsulated within porous diatomaceous earth (DME) and combined with high-adhesion acrylic resin (AR), resulting in a superhydrophobic photothermal coating that possesses both active and passive de-icing capabilities, fabricated through a straightforward one-step spraying technique. Nanosized Fe 3 O 4 particles, modified for hydrophobicity and smaller than the critical nucleation radius, are densely packed within the DME micropores, forming a micro-nano structured coating with a contact angle of 160.1° and a rolling angle of 2.1°. This dense nanoparticle distribution facilitates preferential nucleation of ice crystal nuclei at the gas-liquid interface, rapidly leading to the formation of a robust and uniform ice shell, which effectively reduces the ice-solid contact area, resulting in loose ice droplets that initiate melting within 18 s. Additionally, the self-removal of condensed droplets from the surface enhances the water repellency and ice-phobic performance in low-temperature and high-humidity environments. The protection afforded by the DME microstructure and the releasable action of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles allows the coating to maintain its superhydrophobic characteristics even after exposure to sandpaper abrasion, repeated de-icing, sand impact, and immersion in acid-base solutions. Thus, this robust and durable superhydrophobic photothermal coating, integrating active and passive de-icing functionalities, demonstrates substantial potential for application across various engineering domains., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study sought to explore the application value of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) in the harvest of multi-angiosome perforator flap and the effect of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on the survival of postoperative flap., Methods: Twenty-four SD male rats were selected to construct a three-angiosome perforator flap model with the unilateral iliolumbar artery perforator. They were randomly divided into two groups: the control group was injected with indocyanine green (ICG) into the femoral vein during the operation, and the fluorescence signal was collected and quantitatively analyzed using Real-Time Image Guided System to determine the intraoperative fluorescence imaging length. The experimental group was injected subcutaneously with LMWH (400 U/kg) after 0.5 h postoperatively, and the control group was injected with the same amount of normal saline. The injection was repeated at the same time each day from 0 to 7 days postoperatively. After the flap was sutured in situ , ICGA was performed at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days postoperatively to observe the vascular structure of the two groups of flaps. The flap survival length of the control group was counted at 7 days postoperatively, and the correlation between the intraoperative fluorescence imaging length and the survival length at 7 days postoperatively was calculated. The proportion of distal necrosis of the flaps between the two groups was compared at 7 days postoperatively., Results: The average length of intraoperative fluorescence imaging in the control group was 6.29±0.50 cm, and the survival length of the flap at 7 days postoperatively was 8.24±0.52 cm. The actual survival length was higher than the intraoperative fluorescence imaging length, with a ratio of 1.31±0.08. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). At 7 days postoperatively, the flap necrosis ratio of experimental group and control group were 10.92%±1.30% and 19.11%±1.19%, and the flap necrosis ratio of experimental group was lower than that of control group (P<0.001)., Conclusions: ICGA can locate the position of perforator, and can be used to predict and observe the length of distal survival of multi-angiosome perforator flap postoperatively. LMWH can promote the distal survival of flap and reduce flap necrosis., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://atm.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/atm-22-220/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) has a unique tendency for perineural invasion (PNI), which results in tumor recurrence and poor prognosis. Recent studies have shown that the chemokine CCL5 and its receptor CCR5 play important roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the role of the CCL5/CCR5 axis in the PNI of SACC has not been studied to date. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of CCL5 and CCR5 in SACC cases and nerve tissues, and performed a series of in vitro assays with the SACC cell line, SACC-83, to indicate the role of the CCL5/CCR5 axis in the PNI of SACC. We found that CCL5 (35.9%; 23/64) and CCR5 (70.3%; 45/64) were positively expressed in SACC cases, and the expression of CCR5 was significantly associated with the PNI of SACC (P<0.05). We also found that SACC-83 cells expressed the functional receptor, CCR5, for the chemokine CCL5, as demonstrated by calcium mobilization and actin polymerization assays. Furthermore, we found that exogenous CCL5 significantly facilitated the migration, invasion and PNI activity of SACC-83 cells in vitro (P<0.05). Further study showed that the CCR5 inhibitor (maraviroc) effectively blocked the migration, invasion and PNI activity of SACC-83 cells with or without CCL5 stimulation (P<0.05). These results indicate that the CCL5/CCR5 axis plays a critical role in the PNI of SACC, and that antagonists against CCR5 may be an effective anti-PNI agent for SACC therapy.

Human p12CDK2AP1 protein is encoded by the cyclin‑dependent kinase 2‑associated protein 1 (CDK2AP1) gene. This protein suppresses cell growth, differentiation and angiogenesis in numerous types of carcinoma by interacting with certain cell cycle proteins, including CDK2 and DNA polymerase α/primase. p12CDK2AP1 exerts its functions predominantly through protein‑protein interactions. Therefore, the identification of other p12CDK2AP1‑interacting proteins may clarify its role in cell cycle regulation and carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to identify additional p12CDK2AP1‑interacting proteins. A novel unnamed protein product (UPP, BC006130) was identified through using a yeast two‑hybrid system. The interaction of p12CDK2AP1 with the UPP was further verified by glutathione S-transferase pull‑down and co‑immunoprecipitation experiments in vitro. The qPCR results following overexpression and siRNA assays demonstrated that the expression levels of the UPP were mediated by the CDK2AP1 gene. Furthermore, overexpression of the UPP gene was shown to shorten the length of the G2/M phase of the cell cycle in normal and tumor cell lines in a flow cytometry assay. The results of human tumor xenografts experiments in Balb/c nude mice indicated that stable transfection with the UPP gene was able to inhibit tumor cell proliferation in vivo. Overall, this study identified and characterized a novel interactive protein of p12CDK2AP1, which may inhibit cell proliferation by mediating the cell cycle. It expands the understanding of the mechanisms of p12CDK2AP1 and its potential as a cancer therapeutic target.

The tumor suppressor P12CDK2AP1 negatively regulates cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) activities and suppresses DNA replication. Notably, P12CDK2AP1 is known to be downregulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Silencing of specific gene expression by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) using expression vectors and retroviruses has become a powerful tool for the genetic analysis of mammalian cells. In the present study, we utilized lentivirus‑mediated shRNA for functional gene knockdown in normal human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells in order to assess the potential role of P12CDK2AP1 in HNSCCs. Lentivirus‑mediated RNA interference (RNAi) effectively reduced endogenous P12CDK2AP1 expression in HaCaT cells and significantly promoted HaCaT cell proliferation in vitro. Lentiviral vectors have the ability to infect dividing and non-dividing cells as well as to achieve long‑term multilineage gene expression. Thus, additional studies are needed to investigate the use of such vectors as a therapeutic tool for the delivery of siRNAs.